Post by CompassRds on Sept 28, 2016 4:19:01 GMT -8
I think like a lot here I grew up hearing the some version of cut/suck/tourniquet method for snakebites. Don’t remember when the recommendations changed but do remember they did.
Made me go look for more info, which always produces a toxic mix of anecdotal and muddied scientific/medical. Easily found references to nasty damage caused by suck-out venom-via-mouth. Found some similar damage reports for the cut method and suction methods, which makes sense as the last thing you likely want to do is cause additional trauma, which increases immune response including increased blood flow, into the site of a wound involving hemotoxic venom (as almostthere notes).
Another easy find, a 2004 study on NCBI/PubMed regarding the effectiveness of the Sawyer Extractor (it wasn’t by the methods utilized). Sawyer response was to shift their advertising, apparently conceding that the extractor was ineffective for the large muscle groups tested but now claiming that it worked in extremities (WSJ).
Found a lot of conflicting info regarding tourniquet. Dividing line seems to be hemotoxic vs neurotoxic effect. Hemotoxic venom (no) vs neurotoxic venom (maybe to yes). Neurotoxic effects more dangerous overall, and more snakes with neurotoxic venom in Australia so @alexschulz recommendation likely makes sense there. No use stopping excessive tissue damage if you die from a neurotoxin. Possibly muddying this is that snakes in the SW USA appear to be in an evolutionary arms race with local rodents, who appear to be gaining hemotoxic resistance, and more neurotoxic effects being reported with snake bites.
However, I would still side with @idahowalker and the CDC at this point.